HAUNTED HOSPITAL – HEILSTATTEN: GHOST CHASING FOR THE WRONG REASONS

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I began watching this movie. I knew it was made in Germany, fortunately dubbed in English since my eyesight is off at the moment making subtitles difficult, a sort of found footage style film and involved an overnight stay in a haunted location. As big a fan of movies like this, in particular GRAVE ENCOUNTERS, I was anxious to see how this one turned out. I wasn’t disappointed.

The story involves several vloggers, those who create their own YouTube channels in hopes of drawing in the most viewers. The first among them is Marnie, a young girl whose channel deals with confronting the things that frighten you most. Her channel is one of the low rated ones. Next up is Charly and Finn, a pair of rap style wannabes who prank people on their videos with a large following. Lastly is Betty, a self-styled guru of beauty who is the most self-absorbed of the group as well.

Charly and Finn have issued a challenge to Betty to join them on their next prank. Their pranks tend to involve something illegal and this is no exception. Their friend Theo, a tourism guide, is sneaking them into the infamous Heilstatten, a hospital in Berlin long abandoned where it is said tuberculosis patients met gruesome deaths and Hitler was once a patient. The challenge is to spend the night in the building. Along with tech assistant Emma they head in.

Before the night gets rolling Marnie joins the group. It turns out Theo was her boyfriend and a year earlier had taken her and her sister into the building. Marnie saw something then, a woman in white, which frightened her and insists that they all leave. The pranksters offer her a link to their page and Betty’s if she agrees to stay and be their “medium”. Theo insists that if she’s staying it’s just to gain viewers to her blog. She agrees and they all settle in for a night in the hospital.

It isn’t long before things begin happening. Doors slam and sounds come from various parts of the building. Charly and Finn make jokes and Betty tells them to behave. But Marnie knows there is something there. She asks Theo if he bothered telling them about patient 106, a woman who was impregnated by one of the doctors and later tried to kill herself. She is supposed to haunt the halls here. At first the pranksters pull jokes that frighten Betty. But when they begin seeing things for real the tables turn. Before the night is out they will become believers if they can only survive the night.

The movie uses the typical setup for movies like this but that’s to be expected. If your film involves a haunted location and filming done by those looking for ghost there isn’t much else you can do. The fact that these are not actual ghost hunters but kids who have YouTube channels they are trying to boost was a fresh idea and explains the use of numerous cameras on hand that they plant throughout the building. The gore effects are nicely done but being able to see them in the low lit atmosphere makes them difficult to really appreciate.

The acting here is not top notch but being a lower budget film I wouldn’t expect that. Still most of the performers here do an admirable job with the possible exception of Nilam Farooq as Betty. I’m not sure if it was her performance or the dialogue provided but she came off as a completely unlikeable character who spent far too much time in hysterics. Even setting aside the fact that this was a German made film that was dubbed it became too much at times.

I will say without providing any spoilers that the twist in the film was completely unexpected and I’m one that usually sees things coming in advance. It was the saving grace of the film and made it one that I could then recommend for others to watch. Ignore the constant swearing of the young kids, no doubt to show them as being young kids, and give the story time to unfold. By then end I think you’ll enjoy this one as well.

Click here to order.